SCG Chemicals Co, the petrochemical unit of Thailand's largest industrial conglomerate Siam Cement Plc, is developing its production base to be the country's first eco-friendly industrial estate.
SCG Chemicals has spent almost 10 billion baht to improve facilities at its chemical complex in Rayong.
The concept aims to be friendly to the environment and communities.
Somchai Wangwatanapanich, vice-president for operations, said the company had spent almost 10 billion baht to improve facilities at its chemical complex in Rayong, including an energy-saving programme, waste recovery and pollution control.
It has received certificates for subsidiaries Rayong Olefins Co and Thai Polyethylene Co after spending 2 billion baht to turn them into eco-friendly factories.
"We have already invested in main infrastructure and utilities that are being shared among all factories in the estate, so we will now only invest to make minor improvements to some facilities," said Mr Somchai.
He said other factories in the chemical group including Thai Plastic and Chemicals Plc, Grand Siam Composites Co and Map Ta Phut Olefins Co will require only hundreds of millions of baht to become eco-friendly.
The pilot project at its industrial complex is in collaboration with the Energy Ministry, Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) and the Federation of Thai Industries.
"This project will be the first step in developing IEAT industrial estates nationwide to become friendly to the environment," said Mr Somchai.
Mr Somchai said the idea for the project came after activists filed a petition to the Supreme Administrative Court in 2006 to request the halt of industrial expansion at Map Ta Phut.
The case cost manufacturers billions of US dollars as they needed to suspend activities until environmental impact assessments were done.
"We acknowledged that we needed to seriously seek ways to co-exist with surrounding communities," said Mr Somchai.
He said the project had produced innovations such as Ci-Bot, an internal safety auditor robot, and heat and waste recovery to save energy.
